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Title 54 — National Park Service and Related ProgramsRelease 119-73not60

§101511 Authority of Secretary

Title 54 › Subtitle Subtitle I— National Park System › Chapter 1015— TRANSPORTATION › Subchapter II— ROADS AND TRAILS › § 101511

Last updated Apr 5, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary may build, rebuild, and improve roads and trails, including bridges, inside System units. The Secretary can also name certain roads "approach roads" when they mainly serve travel to a System unit, run mostly (at least 90%) across federal land, and link the unit’s highways to a convenient spot on or leading to the National Highway System. An approach road may be up to 60 miles from a unit gateway to the nearest convenient National Highway System road (30 miles if the approach road itself is on that system), and no more than 40 miles of one approach road may lie in a single county. A designated approach road counts as part of the unit’s road network. The Secretary may build and fix those approach roads, make agreements for state or county maintenance, or maintain them when needed. No more than $1,500,000 per year may be used for building or improving approach roads. If an approach road would cross or lie inside a national forest, the Secretary must get the Secretary of Agriculture’s approval before work starts. The Secretary of Transportation may do any of these tasks under an agreement.

Full Legal Text

Title 54, §101511

National Park Service and Related Programs — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The Secretary may construct, reconstruct, and improve roads and trails, including bridges, in System units.
(b)(1)(A)When the Secretary determines it to be in the public interest, the Secretary may designate, as System unit approach roads, roads whose primary value is to carry System unit travel and that lead across land at least 90 percent owned by the Federal Government and that will connect the highways within a System unit with a convenient point on or leading to the National Highway System.
(B)(i)A designated approach road shall not exceed—
(I)60 miles in length between a System unit gateway and a point on or leading to the nearest convenient National Highway System road; or
(II)30 miles in length if the approach road is on the National Highway System.
(ii)Not to exceed 40 miles of any one approach road shall be designated in any one county.
(C)An approach road designated for a System unit shall be treated as a supplementary part of the highway system of the System unit.
(2)(A)The Secretary may construct, reconstruct, and improve approach roads designated under paragraph (1) (including bridges) and enter into agreements for the maintenance of the approach roads by State or county authorities or to maintain the approach roads when otherwise necessary.
(B)Not more than $1,500,000 shall be allocated annually for the construction, reconstruction, and improvement of System unit approach roads.
(3)When an approach road is proposed under this section across or within any national forest, the Secretary shall secure the approval of the Secretary of Agriculture before construction begins.
(c)Under agreement with the Secretary, the Secretary of Transportation may carry out any provision of this section.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

Revised SectionSource (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large) 101511(a)16 U.S.C. 8.Apr. 9, 1924, ch. 86, § 1, 43 Stat. 90. 16 U.S.C. 8b (words after 6th comma and before semicolon, last proviso).Apr. 9, 1924, ch. 86, § 5, as added Jan. 31, 1931, ch. 79, 46 Stat. 1053. 101511(b)(1)16 U.S.C. 8a.Apr. 9, 1924, ch. 86, §§ 4, 6, as added Jan. 31, 1931, ch. 79, 46 Stat. 1053, 1054. 101511(b) (2)(A)16 U.S.C. 8b (words before 6th comma, words after semicolon and before 1st proviso). 101511(b) (2)(B)16 U.S.C. 8b (2d proviso). 101511(b)(3)16 U.S.C. 8c. 101511(c)16 U.S.C. 8b (1st proviso). In subsection (a), the text of 16 U.S.C. 8b (last proviso) and the words “in the administration of the National Park Service” in 16 U.S.C. 8 are omitted as unnecessary. In subsection (b)(1)(A), the words “at least 90 percent” are substituted for “wholly or to the extent of 90 per centum” to eliminate unnecessary words. The words “National Highway System” are substituted for “Federal 7 per centum highway system” to reflect the current name of the system. See 23:101(a)(16). In subsection (b)(2)(A), the words “during the fiscal years 1950 and 1951” and the text of 16 U.S.C. 8b (words after semicolon and before 1st proviso) are omitted as obsolete. In subsection (c), the words “Secretary of Transportation” are substituted for “Secretary of Commerce” because the functions of the Secretary of Agriculture relating to Public Roads Administration were transferred to the Federal Works Administrator by Reorganization Plan No. 1 of 1939 (5 App. U.S.C.) and subsequently to the Administrator of General Services by section 103 of the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act of 1949 (ch. 288, 63 Stat. 380) and the Secretary of Commerce and Secretary of Transportation by Reorganization Plan No. 7 of 1949 (5 App. U.S.C.), as amended by section 2(b) of Public Law 97–449 (96 Stat. 2439).

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

54 U.S.C. § 101511

Title 54 — National Park Service and Related Programs

Last Updated

Apr 5, 2026

Release point: 119-73not60